2016 College Women of the Year: Crystal Valentine

"Growing up in the Bronx, I was shy. I lived in fear—how could I not, when I'd watch the news and see black victims of police brutality and gang violence? I thought: What can I say, how can I make this better? Then, at 13, I saw a flyer for a poetry workshop; I liked the picture of a fierce black girl, mic in hand. Her mouth mid-yell, she looked like me, but powerful. I realized then that spoken word could let me be badass and brilliant. I started writing and didn't stop. Poetry helped me discover my Black Girl Magic. Now I won't be silent as people who look like me die. I've performed for ­Malcolm X's daughters and mobilized thousands of voters as the 2015 New York City Youth Poet Laureate. You have to speak out, vote, find a way to use your voice."

—Valentine, a psychology major, is a published author, three-time NYU Grand Slam Champion, and the ninth-ranked female slam poet in the world.